Plantas medicinais como tema norteador para o ensino contextualizado e interdisciplinar das ciências ambientais no curso técnico em agropecuária

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants is an ancient practice found in various cultures around the world. However, the transmission of this knowledge between generations has declined, especially among young people, who often opt for conventional treatments. Talking about medicinal plants is not limited to the field of health. From an educational point of view, medicinal plants are a gateway to critical environmental education, as they highlight the close relationship between humans, biodiversity, and sustainable cultural practices. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a technical and technological product as a guide for the application of a contextualized and interdisciplinary teaching sequence on medicinal plants for the teaching of environmental sciences. A participatory action research study was conducted, which was applied and descriptive in nature with a qualitative-quantitative approach, at the IFAM Coari campus with first-year students in the technical course in agriculture. The data underlying this study were obtained through bibliographic research, educational lectures, roundtable discussions, and technical visits. A qualitative approach was used to interpret the collected data. Quantitative data were tabulated and analyzed using basic descriptive statistics, considering means and relative and absolute frequencies. The data were analyzed and tabulated using Microsoft Excel 2019. The initial diagnosis revealed significant gaps in students' knowledge of medicinal plants and environmental issues, despite their high level of interest in the subject. After the training activities, involving theoretical and practical sessions, the final assessment revealed a significant improvement in understanding of the content. These results confirm the effectiveness of the pedagogical interventions and culminated in the development of a technical-technological product designed to support education professionals, especially in the teaching of Environmental Sciences. It is hoped that the activities proposed in the product will contribute to raising awareness among students, teachers, and the community in general about the importance of conserving plant biodiversity, valuing traditional knowledge, and promoting social and environmental responsibility.